Add Water to Oil? Hydro Electric Freight Elevator

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We've got an ancient Hydro Electric Freight Elevator. It has a 210 gallon tank that needs more oil added. I was told to purchase emulsified oil and add water to it... This seems wrong... Especially after examining some of the tanks current fluid. There is definately water in it now but its separated from the oil and has settled at the bottom. Has anyone dealt with this kind of system? ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated!

-- Katie Holderith (K.holderith@sbcglobal.net), March 06, 2005

Answers

Hi Katie,

I would want to know exactly where the old oil went before adding any more oil (or even letting anyone use the elevator).

Dan

-- Dan (justsomeguylookin2@hotmail.com), March 06, 2005.


There were many "water hydros" made, using water, rather than oil, as the fluid medium.

Water soluble oil is added to the water to provide necessary lubricating qualities. As I recall, the oil to water ratio is about 9- 1, that is about 10% w.s. oil is added, so if you had 200 gallons of water, you'd use 20 gallons of w.s. oil. I may disremember this and it may be that different systems used different proportions. The vendor of the water soluble oil may be able to tell you.

Water of course evaporates, so it is necessary to add more water-oil mixture over time. I don't know if the refill mixture is the same as the initial or not.

The water soluble oil should remain in solution, so the separation may indicate someone added the wrong kind of oil. It may be necessary to pump out all, or at least as much as possible, of the existing fluid and refill with a proper mixture.

-- John Brannon (akaelevman@aol.com), March 06, 2005.


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